Sometimes A Hat Is Just A Hat
by Togepretty
Summary: This is a very short and pointless AAMRN. But please R&R anyway ^^


A/N: I want people to know that I made up the whirlpool cup thing. Misty winning is NOT a spoiler. Sorry, I just don't want people to think that I spoiled them. Sorry for the confusion, but I promise, it isn't a spoiler. Honest. ^^  
  
Disclaimer: Pokemon isn't, and will never be mine. Happy?!!!!!  
  
  
Sometimes A Hat Is Just A Hat  
  
A sandy beach, a beautiful sunny day. This was the setting for our heroes' day   
off.   
  
Misty has just competed in, and won the Whirlpool Cup tournament and she and Ash had   
both decided it was time for a little break. So here they are, relaxing, enjoying the quiet of   
the ocean.  
  
Ash was lying on a towel with Pikachu sleeping next to him. Misty was about 25 feet   
away, polishing her sliver Latios-topped trophy.  
  
Thinking. Ash was thinking about the years. Many years had gone by since he began his   
journey. Four long years. All right, so it wasn't that many years, but to Ash it felt like a   
million. A million adventures, a million laughs, a million tears. Ash was 14 and he was   
traveling with his best human friend Misty. They were now both very respected Pokemon   
trainers. Ash having won the Orange League , and the Advanced League, and Misty fresh   
off her victory in the Whirlpool Cup.  
  
Things were great. That's what Ash thought. He was growing up, changing. They both   
were, actually. But that's what's supposed to happen. Ash had never thought much of   
evolving. He didn't believe the process was necessary. But then again, he also didn't   
realize that he'd be evolving himself someday. He was turning into a man. He thought   
about this as his eyes wandered into the depths of the ocean in front of him.   
Becoming a man. Yes, I suppose it is a very important change. And it seems today is the   
day that Misty decides to take note of it too.  
  
"Priiiii!!!!" cries Togepi excitedly as Misty tries for the 100th time today to fit her now   
extremely shiny trophy into her overly stuffed backpack.  
  
"It just won't fit Togepi," Misty states dejectedly while Ash's backpack manages to catch   
her eye.  
  
'Now to get his permission.'  
  
"Oh Aaaaash!!!" Misty calls out in a sing-songy voice.  
  
"Hmmmh," Ash hmmms in response as he struggles to open his eyes.  
  
"My really big trophy doesn't seem to fit in my backpack, and I was wondering if maybe   
I could put it in yours..." Misty questions sweetly.  
  
Ash raised an eyebrow at her in amusement.  
  
"...Uh, you know, you being such a strong man and everything, I'm sure carrying it will   
be a piece of cake for you. Please?" Misty adds for good measure while giving him big   
doe eyes.   
  
Ash waved a hand at her. "Go ahead, I don't care."  
  
Misty smiles and was about to put her trophy away when Ash...  
  
"...By the way, I would have said yes. You didn't have to add the last suck up comment,"   
Ash says knowingly while he lies back down on his blanket, a comfortable smile on his   
lips.  
  
Misty was a little surprised by the way Ash responded to her.  
  
'He never...how did he...He's been hanging out with me too long.' Misty decides that is   
the case. And it was the case, sort of. They have known each other for a very long time.   
They have been together 24/7 for 4 years. He's bound to pick up on her tricks eventually.  
The problem is, is that all he's picked up on?  
  
Misty opened Ash's green backpack.  
  
'A lot of junk,' Misty thought as she took a quick peek through the clutter that is Ash's   
backpack.  
  
She was about to stick her trophy in when she noticed something shining on the bottom.  
She managed to pull out... 'Ash's old Orange League trophy and...' She pulled out a   
badge shaped object. '...the participation badge from the Indigo League.'  
  
Wait, there was something else.  
  
'His Advanced League trophy. He really deserved this.' She thought proudly as a smile   
crept to her lips.  
  
As she carefully put the trophies in Ash's backpack she also took note of the squished   
Official Pokemon League hat sticking out of the front pocket. Yes, many things have   
changed with Ash.  
  
She closed the zipper, took the hat and placed it on her head. With a smirk on her face   
and the hat on her head, she headed towards the lounging Ash.  
  
"Hey sleepy head."  
  
Ash, once again, unwillingly opened his eyes. This time he was greeted with the hat-topped   
Misty who was grinning childishly.  
  
Ash was amused.  
  
"Nice hat."  
  
"I think it looks better on me, but what do you think?"  
  
"Uh, I don't think it goes with your outfit." That was true, but there wasn't much for it to   
go with. Misty was only wearing a skimpy, black bikini. But Ash wasn't complaining.   
  
"Ha ha." Misty says sarcastically, but not seriously.  
  
"So what do you want now?"  
  
"Oh, I was just thinking that...you've really changed. You know, since I first met you."  
  
Ash gave her an "oh really?" look.  
  
"I mean, you're not the same bratty, little, inexperienced, wannabe Pokemon master that I   
first met. You've really grown up."  
  
"Really?" Ash asked a little to excitedly.  
  
"Uh huh. You've definitely matured a lot."  
  
Ash let a chuckle escape from his lips. "That's right, I forgot you liked mature guys."  
  
No sooner did the words leave Ash's mouth that Misty turned tomato red in outrage, and   
embarrassment.  
  
"What?! You...I...You think a lot of yourself!!!" Misty screamed in anger and proceeded   
to shout out put-downs that were sure to leave Ash bewildered.  
  
"You think that just because you win a couple of competitions the whole world must like   
you! Well I got news for-for you Ash. I don't like you! You are just a self-centered,   
egotistical j-jerk! Next thing you know you'll be saying that I'm in love with you too!"   
  
At this, Misty turned even redder and continued to rant illogically while taking off Ash's   
hat and throwing it in his lap. Ash could only stare as Misty stormed off.  
  
"Me, in love with him?! Ha!! What a ego! Of all the nerve! I have a good mind to...."  
  
Misty was now out of site as Ash was, you guessed it, left bewildered.  
  
"What just happened?"  
  
Pikachu rolled over and let out a few pi's, ka's and chu's.   
  
"Pikachu, chu pi ka chu chu." (Apparently she's in love with you.)  
  
"Pikachu?!!" Ash was surprised that Pikachu would even suggest such a thing.  
  
Pikachu gave him a "I'm serious" look before he shook his head, rolled back on his side,   
and began to grumble away in Pika language.  
  
"Kachu pikachu chupi kachpi pi pi ka chuchu"(Just because a guy chooses licking himself as a way of maintaining personal hygiene, he's automatically labeled a dumb animal.)  
  
Ash had a humorous expression on his face as he turned away from Pikachu. He sat in   
thought for a minute about what Pikachu just said.   
  
You could see an idea pop into his head as he smiled at his old Pokemon League hat.  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Misty, after just changing back into her regular attire, was searching through her   
backpack for a scrunchy to tie up her wet hair.   
  
'I know it's in here somewhere...ah! Here it....'  
  
Misty began to pull out what she thought was her scrunchy, but instead it just turned out   
to be...'Ash's hat! How did it get in here?' Misty only had to think about this for a second   
before a blush rose to her cheeks and a shy smile appeared on her face.  
  
"Hey Mist! Hurry up! We got to go!"  
  
"Coming!" With that said, Misty packed the hat gently back into her backpack, and ran to   
join Ash.  
  
Some say the hat symbolizes something in this story. Luck, youth, maturity, change,   
friendship, love, a bond. But it could also just be a worn out old hat that a guy gave to a   
girl because he liked her. ^_~  
  
The End  
  
  
A/N: Wow! My first one-shot fic in an while. Now you see why I don't do too many of   
these. I guess my style is rambling on for several chapters until a story is over. I was   
thinking before I started writing this that there might be a second chapter but now that's   
it's written I think it would be better left like this. And yes, I know the hat thing has been   
done several times before, but I think it fit this story, and besides, I've never done it   
before so =P. 


End file.
